How To Square, Screed & Lay Concrete Pavers (DIY) 

No problem, I'm sorry to hear that you had issues with your contractor. Unfortunately there are many paver installers that are not doing things correctly, USA is no exception to that for sure.... Good luck on the repairs, I hope it all works out ✌

Thank you, I try to be laid back in life and in my video editing. Glad you like it! ✌🏻

Thanks brother! It’s very cool to see my videos are reaching you in Scotland ✌🏻

I appreciate it, we try! ✌

Thanks brother!✌🏻

Thank you ✌

No problem at all! That sounds like a very cool project man, a patio and walkways would tie it together nicely 👌 Good luck on your projects! ✌

Wtv you do as patio or steps ect... Slant your level a bit if not when it rains the water will not drain...

Thank you for the feedback, Ben and I have been friends for 17 years now.... It's a blessing to work with your best friend, very helpful!

This system will not fail you, especially in CT. I have over 150 installs with this method just above you in Massachusetts and they are aging very well. Your project will hold up to water just find if you use it. Good luck! ✌

Thanks man!

Awesome, Thank you for the feedback and I'm glad you are enjoying the channel!

Thanks, I really like those pavers ✌🏻

Thanks! ✌🏻

My pleasure, glad you enjoyed it! ✌

Nice, and my pleasure! I have really been enjoying making these videos. It is a great service to add to your business. Fun work and very rewarding. Good luck with your projects and your business! ✌

Thank you, We do excavate 6-8 inches farther on all sides to help prevent the edges from sinking. We then concrete the edges to lock everything together. I hate that plastic edging as well, and I can't use it anyway because the loose base stone will not hold the spikes strong enough. Here is a video I made about how I concrete the edges 👉ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_X1tCmMJQqk.html

@@TheChristianHardscaper The plastic edging is horrible. It's a great way to ruin a good patio.

Awesome, thank you !

I appreciate the feedback and I'm glad to hear it! ✌

😂 👌

Nice, glad you found it and thank you! ✌

Thanks ✌

Thank you, I love these pavers

Thanks!

No problem, thank you for your support! We do a lot of patios, walkways, walls and steps. The crushed stone (Open Grade Base) method we use has been night and day compared to the traditional method of dense grade / sand. Been using it for over 4 years now and I will never go back. I have so much content from multiple jobs from 2021 and this year just sitting on sd cards and hard drives, waiting for me to put the videos together. During the busy season, I just don't have the time to edit them. But winter is coming and there will be a lot more videos coming ✌

@@TheChristianHardscaper awesome to hear brother. I’ll be waiting for more videos to come. As always, thank you for your time! Would 89 stone be considered open grade? I actually don’t know what open grade means lol. The stone here local to me that I think would work for patios would be 57 to level and compact sub base and 89 for screeding. Not sure if that would work, just trying to find something similar here locally that would work.

(Open Grade Base) just means the base material is (clean) crushed stone with no fine materials in it, allowing water to flow through freely. I use 3/4 inch (clean) crushed stone for my base material. And I use 3/8 inch (clean) crushed stone for my bedding material. I believe 57 stone is 3/4 (clean) crushed stone but I'm not sure, it's called a lot of different things but we call it 3/4 crushed stone here (typically crushed granite or bluestone here in massachusetts). Same thing with the smaller crushed stone, some call it Premium Bedding Stone (PBS), some call it High Performance Bedding (HPB), Here we call it (Chip Stone) or (Chip Rock).

@@TheChristianHardscaper awesome. Thank you for taking your time to respond not just ku to my comments, but to everyone else’s too. It must be hell responding to so many comments. Appreciate your time!!

Thanks brother! The base I am using for these pavers is exactly what I use for natural stone as well, can’t beat it.

@@TheChristianHardscaper Is the final gravel you use called 1/4 gravel?

thank you ✌

You just have too, they are awesome little creatures! ✌

My pleasure! I unfortunately do not yet... I have done a few but that was before I started my channel.

The design comes from walk around estimates with the customers. I give them options after hearing what they want. They go over in general what they are hoping for, then I offer ideas and design options for them to choose from. Like intricate curves and cutting costs more than straight, squared of designs simply because of additional labor to build. The materials are decided upon through numerous conversations and looking at samples, catalogs and pictures of previous work done. But every project has it's differences. Experience helps, and the more experience you gain, the easier it gets....✌

Thank you! We compact the base stone but not the chip stone. I do not worry about settling because I trust my backfill method to the highest degree. If you have not seen the video before this one, I go through how we backfill and why I trust it so much. Here is a link to that video👉ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fDe3tMZQY5o.html

Thank you and your welcome, I really enjoy putting them together! Compacting the pavers is a very good idea. I do this during the polymeric sand installation. After you sweep the sand through once, you compact and then sweep through one more time. I have compacted in many different ways.... On large installs, a plate compactor with a rubber pad is the best bet. But on smaller applications a hand tamper will work just fine. I have a few Polymeric sanding videos on my channel if you are interested in checking those out✌

Glad to hear it, thanks for the feedback. I dont lay pavers in patterns. I lay them randomly while looking out for a few things. No long joint lines, no 4 way intersections (where 4 corners of 4 pavers intersect) and don't put too many pavers of the same size together. Check out this video I made that talks about it a little more 👉ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lWNitowC_k4.html

It is a very nice screed level, and that idea with the gator base is perfect! I will definitely be using that trick ✌🏻

That’s really cool to hear man. I would love to see some pictures! No Instagram yet but soon enough hopefully. Glad my videos helped you out, that’s what I am doing it for. Enjoy your patio brother! ✌🏻

That’s awesome man, glad to hear my videos are reaching Ireland! The chip stone is strong enough for pavers. However, for driveways, we dig deeper and add Geo grid to the base rock. We also compact with a heavy compactor to make sure it can stand vehicular traffic. And usually, driveway pavers are an inch thicker ✌🏻

Thank you, I have a lot of experience with that saw. The pavers are made by (Genest). The main pavers are called (Grand Katahdin) with a color tone of (Granite) and the border pavers are called (Eastern Bay) with a color tone of (Charcoal)

These particular border pavers on this project where made by (Genest) and the style is called (Eastern Bay) with a color tone of (Charcoal). Depending on the manufacturer you choose for pavers they pretty much all have different names…

Thank you, which song are you asking about?

You can definitely use this method to tie into a french drain. And with this base, even if you use the polymeric sand you shouldn't have a problem with drainage. The best thing you can do is make a stone bed / apron around the edges that ties into the base stone. Then all the surface water will drain into the apron and find its way into the drain underneath.

Thanks man! Yes, I remove the pipes after I screed and then fill in the empty channel with more bedding stone and trowel it smooth ✌

Thank you, these Pavers are made by (Genest) they are out of Maine. The main paver is called (Grand Katahdin) with a color blend of (Granite). The border pavers are called (Eastern Bay) with a color blend of (Charcoal) ✌🏻

Thank you!

🤣✌🏻 Thank you very much brother! I’m down here in Massachusetts

@@TheChristianHardscaper Heh, I completely got the accent wrong. Keep up the good work! I watch Mike Haduck a lot as well. He says to use stone dust if you want to water to flow away and not drain. Is this the case for you?

He is definitely right that stone dust will help water flow on the top but the problem is that any water that may get into the stone dust has an extremely hard time getting out of the stone dust. It is like a sponge and that is not good for under pavers. especially in the winter when all the moisture in the stone dust freezes. which will lift the pavers and cause movement over a few freeze/ thaw cycles. With this clean stone as my bedding material, the water will flow freely into the subsoil.

@@TheChristianHardscaper That makes sense! Thanks for the info. Do you guys ever put in french drains under the gravel to help with drainage? I'm just curious as where I live (Winnipeg), we have marshy soil that's also extremely sticky clay. It's called "Winnipeg Gumbo." If I ever get pavers done, I'll probably just hire someone.

​@The Christian Hardscaper why do you put fabric under the gravel base?

Thank you, the fabric is very important. It prevents the soils from migrating into the clean, crushed stone. If you don't use the fabric, there will be sinking and shifting in the future

Depending on how big the building is, yes, this base prep method would be good. Maybe excavate a little deeper than I did. At least 12-18 inches..

Hey there, I appreciate the support! I use the same base prep method as I usually do for sandy sub soil. Sandy soil may seem like it will shift easily but it won't once you are backfilled and the pavers are laid. You don't need to dig any deeper or do anything additional than what I typically do on all projects.

@@TheChristianHardscaper Thank you so much - you are the best. Appreciate your videos.

I compacted the first layer of stone into the sub soil. Then laid geotextile fabric, and covered with more 3/4 stone up to my grade without compacting. The only other time I compact, is when I compact the pavers while doing poly sand

For a paver driveway? If so, just use the same pipes as seen in this video and slope everything towards where the drain is. ✌🏻

I would not change anything at all. This method works great for any soil type / climate. You will be very happy with the results. ✌

Thank you, and yes I have heard it a few times here on RU-vid, makes me laugh every time! LOL I never seen a resemblance until I got a few comments about it.... And to answer your question, yes. You can use crushed limestone for sure. Up here in Massachusetts, we have more granite and bluestone than limestone. So we use what is most common. Although, if you are doing a driveway, I recommend granite because it is a stronger stone and will hold up better over time than limestone. ✌

Thank you, recycled concrete is a material that you have or all you can get, go for it but I don’t believe it is as good as actual crushed aggregate. Concrete will break down far quicker than natural crushed stone. But yes, you could use it. I would compact it in a few lifts though… ✌🏻

@@TheChristianHardscaper Hi. Just curious, would you please explain why you suggest tamping recycled concrete, but not aggregate. Thanks again. John

The recycled concrete is typically softer and more rounded on the edges than crushed granite. Plus concrete pieces will breakdown into smaller pieces later down the road, so you want to make sure the recycled concrete is compacted nice and tight to prevent any sinking to early in its life.

That is awesome to hear! Some guys use pea stone when they can't find the chip stone. Perfectly fine. If they got the excavation and backfill done right, I'm sure you will end up with a very good, long lasting product. Congratulations, hope you enjoy it! ✌

I wouldn’t recommend that as great thing to do but if you were to, I would spread a layer of the small chip stone you see in this video on top of the concrete for the pavers to sit on. Creating a layer of material to separate the 2.

Thank you, I used to use sand 5 years ago. But I never will again, this method is just better in my opinion.

It is all about where you start laying the pavers to end with no cuts. The good thing about the 3 size pavers is that you can end the patio wherever it makes sense to not have cuts. ✌

🤣 we always try to have a good time, glad you got a kick out of it! I never knew lady bugs bite either… lol Hopefully the Chico rock is similar. The decomposed granite has fines in it, so if you use a clean stone for the base and bedding material with fines in it, the fines will wash away into the gaps of the base stone. So if you use a clean stone for the base, you need clean stone for the bedding. If you use a bedding material wit fines, you need a base material with fines. Or you use clean base stone and lay fabric over it, then put your bedding stone with fines over it. That will prevent the fines from washing away

Thank you so much, Kyle. I think I see the light 💡😁

No pattern, I just look out for really long joint lines, 4 ways and multiples of one size next to each other. Other than that, make sure you use an entire layer before picking more sizes from another layer or you will run out of those size pavers to quick. You need to use 1 layer at a time. Good luck, you will be fine! ✌🏻

Yes, if it is an adjustment of less than a half inch, we use chip stone to adjust it. If it is more than that, we add more base rock to get us to height. ✌

Sweet, thanks for the feedback! The crushed bedding stone has been pretty consistently the 3/8 for awhile now. The 1/4 is very hard to find. If you can't find either, "Crushed" pea stone will be the best option. The angular edges hold together better than round edges. But if you can't find that, the round edge pea stone is still better than sand or stone dust... Good luck on the project!✌

@@TheChristianHardscaper Thanks a lot for answering. Here stone yards only carry 1/4". I think I'll settle with that. I just bought my 3/4" today. Time to work!

Nice, 1/4 is nice stuff. Have fun!✌

The pavers are a 3 size set. They are assorted and come with about 110-125 sq ft per pallet. So you would need 2 or just over 2 pallets depending on what you choose… ✌🏻

@@TheChristianHardscaper thanks, brother!

on large patios like this, I go 4-5 pavers at the most. 6 if you absolutely have to in order to prevent a 4 way. But yea, every 3-4 is the best .

Yes they will, but their warranty relies on more than just the bedding material. So you need to make sure the entire install lines up with their methods they cover. Most manufacturers are standing by open grade and are pushing it more and more.

🤣 Glad to hear you enjoy the videos and that they are helpful! You can use Travertine in a freeze / thaw climate for sure. But I would recommend doing some research for Landscape / Masonry supply stores in your area. They will have far better paver options than Menards.... And they will be the ones who can get you travertine also. They will also have some contractor referrals if needed. So that is where I would start. Good luck! ✌

Thanks for the response! We were advised, with whatever our choice ends up being, in regard to steps, to place angle iron on the foundation and attach about 3 concrete lintels perpendicular to the house, extruding into the yard (below frost) supported at the ends by 2’ x 2’ pads. The reason being is that the ground was previously disturbed on another project to replace the footer drains (2020). While we overkilled on the backfill with stone, the steps will completely rest on the previously disturbed area not virgin ground and there’s a fear of more settling. Have you heard of this method for support? Is that overkill and a 4-6” pad is actually enough, with proper base prep? The footprint of the steps is 15’wide x 9’ deep x 3’high. I realize it’s hard to say without seeing, we’re just gathering as many opinions as possible. Thanks again.

I understand what you are saying and it is a good idea to do something extra like that to help support the steps. That is a good size set of steps so the more strength, the better ✌

Just the 3/8 but I do use the pipes to check the grade of the 3/4 before we screed

Damn, sorry to hear that. So you can use the concrete sand, but you need to lay fabric over the 3/4 clean first and then lay the sand so it does not migrate into the stone. That will work out if you can't find the chip stone. ✌

@@TheChristianHardscaper thanks man! Much appreciated. I will probably do the concrete sand as it is easy for me to get. Thanks for the tip of making sure I have fabric down so it doesn't leach into the rock!

No problem at all, good luck!

I cut it at the top of the 3/4 because we don’t want excess fabric. The chip stone is held in by the concrete edge restraint we install close to the end. ✌🏻

@@TheChristianHardscaper I see, thanks! In that case how do you deal with the fabric when doing concrete edging? Will the concrete sit on top of 3/4'' stones, or on fabric, or even wrap around the fabric (the fabric is folded around up against the paver edge)?

@@ttzz7868 You want to install the concrete on top of the 3/4 stone. Then cut the fabric a couple inches below the grade so you don't see it

I bought them from a local masonry supply store. I forget the brand, sorry....

Hello! That material is called " Geo-Textile Soil Stabilization Fabric ".The rolls I buy are 6ft wide x 100ft long. Many manufacturers make their own version of it and It is made of long strands of plastic which are woven together, allowing for water to permeate through. At the same time, it acts as a soil separator and stabilizer. We use it between the subsoil and backfill material on every hardscape install we do. ✌

Yes sir ✌🏻

The sand and dense grade gravel is a traditional way of base prep for pavers. I use a method called (Open Grade Base). It is designed for permeable paver applications but is excellent for non permeable paver applications as well. Here in Massachusetts, drainage is key to a long lasting project. Dense grade and sand holds onto water like a sponge, Which slowly deteriorates the pavers and cause a lot of problems when winter comes and the base material freezes, causing heaving and sinking. The open grade base is a method that a lot of contractors have been switching to in the past few years. I switched over 4 years ago and will never go back to the traditional dense grade / sand method. It has been proven to cause many different types of failures for paver projects. I have plenty of videos on my channel explaining it in more detail. Here is a video about the base material and how to backfill with it👉ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-aSoi3EI__Rc.html Here is a video on the bedding material and how to screed with it👉ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Y5l7xLCZeyk.html

I use a very different method than most people on RU-vid do. It is called (Open Grade Base) It is a method that is becoming more common because it is proving to be far superior to gravel / sand base methods. There is a video on how we backfilled this project where I explain the method. Here is a link to that video👉 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fDe3tMZQY5o.html

Getting the base stone to the right slope can be difficult for sure. Setting lines and measuring is a great way to do it. But I typically just rake and use my screed pipes to check the grade. You just need to lay the pipes down and check the slope with the level you are using

@@TheChristianHardscaper awesome thanks! We completed our first small project this weekend based partly on help from your videos! Turned out great! Only struggle I had was how to keep the polymeric sand in the joints at the outer edges... Even with restraint it would only fill so close to the edge without spilling out. I'm thinking after back grading I can go back and add a little more at the edges

Nice! And that is a common thing, Most border pavers don't get filled with poly sand all the way to the edge, it pills over the concrete edge on the last inch or so. Not a huge deal in the long run

It is 3/4 inch clean, crushed stone. Check out the video before this one that explains how we backfill. here is the link to that video👉ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fDe3tMZQY5o.html

We compact the pavers after installing the 1st round of polymeric sand.

We don't screed the 3/4 but we do take our time raking it out as close to or grade as possible. We rake it out and set the screed pipes to check as we go. If we are high, we take some out, if we are low, we add some. Little by little and 1 section at a time ✌

@@TheChristianHardscaper Thanks bud. I'm finally at this step myself :D :D :D Question about the grade level. Say there is already a concrete surface I have to meet, should I grade the 3/4'' stones about 3 & 3/8'' away from that surface? My calculation is 1.25'' (screeding bar outer diameter for 1/4'' chip stones) - 0.25'' (give from hammering the paver done and/or the final compacting before poly sands) + 60mm (pavor, roughly equivalent to 2 & 3/8' ). Does it sound about right? I am mainly not sure about the "give" part.

When meeting a specific height, giving yourself more compaction room the better. It is easier to slope it more than lift pavers up because they are low. That being said, between 1/4 inch - 1/2 inch is the safe zone ✌🏻

There is a bunch of different manufacturers but it is just a woven geotextile plastic underlayment for pavers. Fully permeable and very good at stabilizing the subsoil and base rock ✌🏻

Heck yea!! ✌

with the straight edges and minimal cuts, $12,000 - $15,000. When you start doing curves and more custom designs, $16,000 - $18,000

Thanks for responding and that information

We use a woven geotextile plastic fabric that is permeable. There’s a few different brands I use but mainly “gator fabric” by alliance

I use 3/8 inch and less clean, crushed stone instead of sand. It holds up much better over time because it allows water to travel through freely, while sand holds onto water more and is more likely to wash out over time.

@@TheChristianHardscaper Plus, won’t ants tend to hollow out the sand over time?

Sand is unstable and holds onto water, causing shifting, heaving and sinking in the winter months. Here is a video which explains it in more detail 👉ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ChaJe3JqD6I.html

Not really, but there are a few things we look out for. Long joint lines, 4 way intersections and a large amount of the same size in a row. I explain it a little more in this video right here 👉ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lWNitowC_k4.html

🤣✌🏻

Thanks, prices range on most projects but on average this is a $12,000-$16,000 install.

Amen, I'm glad you are healing! I do disagree with it having more of a chance to shift in a freeze / thaw climate. I am in Massachusetts which has many freeze / thaw cycles during the winter. That is where this method shines actually. The open spaces in the stone gives the moisture places to expand into when it freezes in stead of pushing the material apart. But honestly, because of how well it drains, the risk of it heaving and freezing is already so much less likely to happen.... I have about 200 installs over 5 years with this method with little to no failures yet.

@@TheChristianHardscaper Im open grade all the way for all of the installs, but i guess what i was saying is the guys who use the 3/4 or 1 inch clean and the 1/4 inch chip stone screeded out to set the wall blocks instead of hammering them in place one by one on the normal 1 inch or 3/4 clean I feel like it has a higher chance for wash out over time?

@@danraymond1703 Oh ok, I got ya. I totally agree about not laying a retaining wall on chip stone. I have done it for a small sitting wall but I would never trust it for a retaining wall that is holding back pressure. Too much possibility for shifting on the small stone. ✌

Yes, I almost always lay in a random pattern. They have patterns that you can follow but I don't like that style.... ✌

It is called (Woven Geotextile Stabilization Fabric). It is made of plastic strips which are woven together to allow water to freely flow through it. It does 2 things for you, 1 is that it is very strong, so when it is laid out and covered with base material, it helps stabilize the gravel preventing shifting and sinking. The other thing it does is separate the sub soil from the gravel to prevent soil migration. A lot of sinking and shifting under hardscape projects happen due to soil migration. This fabric helps prevent that. ✌

No problem at all man, congrats on digging into your own project! I use 1 - 1.5 inches of chip stone on every project, no stabilization issues. When I used to use sand 5+ years ago, I would agree with what that guy said. That's because sand sinks and shifts very easy, so using less is better for stabilization. But that's just another big reason why I switched to the open grade base method. That 3/8 inch crushed stone is super stable. Plus, if you try to use too little amount of chip, you will find it very difficult to screed.... Because you will start pulling up the 3/4 stone and that becomes a mess.... ✌

Awesome! Thanks so much! I do have one more question about compacting the final product with the poly sand. Patio is about 400sf. Rectangular shape with a stone step and four corner posts (timber pavilion) to maneuver around. I have the mega old town paver (3 piece) 2&3/8” thickness, and will be using poly sand. I can’t seem to find a power tamper with a pad, or the rolling compactor like yours. Planning on using a smaller plate compactor but a little worried about damaging pavers. ? Do I need to start at the lowest point and run the compactor east/west toward the high point? Any advice on size/ technique would be most appreciated!

@@joemayer5781 If you can't find a compactor with a pad, then yes, the smaller the compactor the better. All you are trying to do is seat the pavers and settle the sand into place. Just make sure the compactor is completely dry and that it has no rust on the bottom. Either one of those things will possibly ruin the project. It is very important to make sure of those things. On small applications, I sometimes even hand tamp the area with some kind of a piece of rubber / strong foam. It is more work but you can be a touch more precise. Also prevents pavers cracking / rust streaks on the surface. Some say that it's not good enough, but I have done it on quite a few applications and the results were just fine, still no call backs. So compact whatever way you feel comfortable. At the end of the day, you just need to seat the pavers. They will settle / move equally as time goes on and the ground shifts throughout the seasons no matter what size compactor you use for poly.

Awesome, thanks! I’m laying the pavers today! I have one other question about installing the soldier course border (single)…. How much extra height should I add to account for settlement. I thought you said in one video to add a little extra chip stone to raise edge a bit but can’t remember. Can’t wait to see these pavers on the ground! Thanks again and God bless you bother!

@@joemayer5781 No problem, and yes, I set the border pavers about 1/4 inch - 3/8 inch higher and hammer into place to meet the main paver height. I do it because the edges are the first / most common point of failure, so I try to mediate that by making sure they are really compacted. Good luck today brother, the laying part is very fun!! I would love to see pictures... I have an email link on my channel home page if that's something you want to share. ✌

I would be happy to help with whatever I can. You could email me at (TheChristianHardscaper@Gmail.com)

You certainly can, but crushed (angular) stone is better because it locks together better.

@@TheChristianHardscaper Thanks for the fast responses, I have a 45ft walkway to my backyard that already full with pea gravel.

Geotextile ✌🏻

I use one on the base layer when I backfill. Check out this video right here to understand my base method 👉 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fDe3tMZQY5o.html

🤣🤣✌🏻